Page 24 of Fully Loaded

He tapped his thumbs on the bottom of the wheel. “So little faith,” he murmured, watching couples strolling in the park. The sun split open the early afternoon sky and the temperature had risen to its highest degree since he landed.

Dani huffed. Even with every supple curve of her upper body buried in material and her hair hidden underneath his hat, she still turned him on. Maybe it was her temper—or the fact that no disguise could wipe the memory of her smoking-hot body from his head.

“You’ll get arrested.”

He turned to glare at her. “Really? I’ve been stealing for over twenty years, sweetheart. I think I can pick a pocket for god’s sake.”

“You’re not picking a pocket for a wallet. You’re swiping a passport. When was the last time you did that? And I sure hope you haven’t picked an innocent citizen’s pocket recently. That’s a new low.”

“Do you have a better idea?”

“Well, considering we’re going to Sven’s place in France and we’re traveling within the Schengen zone, we don’t need a passport.”

“That’s if we don’t get stopped. Authorities are looking for a terrorist—you don’t think they’ll ask for passports from anyone who fits your description?”

“I guess you’re right.”

“Of course I am. Stealing a passport will be a cinch. Watch and learn.”

She flicked her hand to shoo him out of the car. “Go ahead. At least it will be amusing to watch.”

He caught her fingers in his hand and tilted his head back on a chuckle. “Oh great. Now I’ll have to keep a straight face knowing you’re sitting here laughing your ass off.”

She flashed him a smile, and a dimple clefted the corner of her mouth. He used to love kissing that dimple. “At least you won’t be able to hear me from way over there.”

“Ha, ha. Very funny.” He unbuckled his seatbelt and bit back another grin. If he failed at stealing a passport for her, at least he’d succeed at making her smile. “The hardest part is we’ll need one for each of us. Hopefully we can get out of the country before they find out my identity and make the connection between us, but we won’t have long, given the library incident.” He nodded at the keys in the ignition. “Keep a lookout. If you see anyone suspicious, get the hell out of here and head to the parkade if possible.”

She nodded. He opened the car door and stepped out, but a tug on his shirt pulled him back to face her.

“Brock . . . be careful.”

He clapped his hand over hers and ignored the terror darkening her irises. If he stared too long, he’d get sucked in and there’d be no way in hell he’d leave her to get the document they needed.

The shimmer of a tear at the corner of her eye undid him. He reached across the seat and swiped it away with his thumb. She sniffed and rubbed the tip of her reddening nose with her knuckle.

“I’m fine.” Her lip trembled and he breathed a curse.

He couldn’t not comfort her. Couldn’t not try to take away even a fraction of her pain. He circled his fingers over her jaw, stopping at her chin. She tried to duck to avoid his eye contact, but he held fast.

“Hey, this will all be over soon. I promise.”

She sniffed again. “Yeah, and it might end with both of us in the ground.”

He bit his tongue. He couldn’t deny that the same fear coursed through him. Not so much for himself. Nah, he’d face whatever fate he had coming. But Dani . . . He couldn’t, wouldn’t, let anyone harm a hair on her head. The memory of her kidnapping kicked him in the gut. Until that moment he’d thought he’d seen every emotion on her face: rage, humiliation, hate, hunger, love. Every damn one. But the day he’d seen the video call of the kidnapper beating her, his heart had ripped through his chest. The Dani he’d loved and grown up with had been broken, and in her place was a terrified, bloodied woman he’d barely recognized.

“What are you thinking?”

He refocused his gaze on her face and shook his head. He couldn’t bring it up. “Just that I would never let anyone hurt you. Trust me, okay?” He leaned forward until his lips hovered an inch from hers. “I know you said to keep our distance, but if I’m about to die like you believe, can you send me with a good memory?”

Her laugh split the silence of the car and she shoved at his chest. “Oh, please. You’re not going to war.”

He caught her hand, which still lingered on his pec, and kissed her palm. “No.” A beat passed, and he tried to suck back the words dangling on his tongue, but the defiant muscle let them slide. “But for you I would.” He dropped her hand and exited the car.

He didn’t dare look back.

Dani watched as Brock jogged up to a middle-aged couple taking a selfie with the lake at their backs.

No, no, no!